On November 24, South Korean rappers Iron and Kidoh received suspended jail terms from a district court in Seoul on charges of drug use.
The two rappers were charged for the consumption of Marijuana when an acquaintance of theirs was arrested for an attempted theft at a sauna in Gangnam. The guy who was arrested tested positive for drugs, which led to the investigation of others who were suspected of drug use. During the test, both Iron and Kidoh were found positive for use of Marijuana.
Iron had already been charged for three counts of marijuana use in the December 2014 and March 2015, while Kidoh was accused of smoking Marijuana in Bangkok bar in October 2015.
According to South Korean law, use of Marijuana is banned and it carries a maximum 5 years penalty in prison for using or fine upto 50 million won.
Iron was expecting an eight month jail sentence, due to his previous charges. However, he ended up being charged with two-year probation instead. On the other hand Kidoh was charged with one-year probation in place of six-month jail sentence. They are also required to pay fine and attend a rehab for 40 hours.
Iron is a solo artist known very well for his role in TV show “Show me The Money” and he recently released his full-length album, ‘ROCKBOTTOM’, which had previous controversy over explicit Kidoh. While Kidoh is a former of the idol group TOPP DOGG and was supposed to hold a tour in the US this December which looks unsure now.
Concerning his drug charges, Iron stated in a previous interview, “First of all, as a Korean citizen I went against the law and I am waiting to receive sentence for my wrong doings. However, I don’t think marijuana is a drug.”
Both rappers are still active in the music industry, despite the recent drug scandal.